CITY OF PALO ALTO MUSEUM & ZOO

A neighborhood landmark for curious kids

Founded in 1934, the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo is a City of Palo Alto institution where children explore the natural world through hands-on science and live animals.

Reopened with a facility nearly twice its former size, new exhibits, and expanded animal habitats, the City engaged Ruckus to reintroduce the museum to the Bay Area and fill it with families.

Fill a facility twice its former size

The museum needed to drive attendance across a facility nearly double its old footprint, spreading visits across the week rather than just weekends, while reaching beyond regulars to families across the Bay Area and turning goodwill into memberships and donations that sustain it year-round.

One museum, four audiences

Ruckus opened with a discovery workshop and a full digital audit, then built four distinct campaigns, each with its own audience, message, and creative: weekday families, regional travelers, community and giving, and schools and education.

A full marketing engine carried the work: paid search catching families mid-search, paid and organic social keeping the museum in the feed, and email sends turning interest into visits, members, and donations, all built on the museum's own palette and photography.